Page 82 of Make Me Trust Again
I lean my head against the cushion, my gaze going to the empty spot next to me, when I hear soft rustling.
My heart goes into overdrive as I shift my gaze to the woods and the dark figure standing by the trees.
Chase.
My lips tingle as the memory of last night comes back, my mouth goes dry as we just stare at one another, neither of us saying anything.
A part of me wonders if I’d imagined yesterday happening, but now he’s here.Again.
I shift slightly in my seat, my teeth grazing over my lower lip. Even though I can’t be sure, I swear I can feel his eyes on my mouth. Is he thinking about last night? About that kiss? I know I am. I can’t remember the last time somebody kissed me like that.
Time had slowed down, and it was just Chase and me, those calloused fingers cupping my face as his mouth devoured mine, erasing everything else, everybody else.
The next time I kiss you, you won’t be married to another man.
For a moment, Chase just stands there, making me wonder if he’ll walk away. My stomach twists in a knot at the idea. I don’t want to be all alone with my thoughts in an empty house.
I’m not sure how long we stay just like that, when he slowly takes a step closer. His footsteps are almost inaudible as he climbs onto the porch. I take him in. The soft moonlight casts light on his face. His skin is pale, the circles under his eyes even more prominent than they were last night, just accentuating the deep hollow reflected in his irises. The dark stubble covers hisjaw, his lips set in a tight line. Every muscle in his body is tense, like he’s teetering on the edge, and one wrong move will make him fall.
He looks haunted.
It should scare me.Heshould scare me. But for whatever reason, he doesn’t.
Chase sits next to me, Shadow taking a spot by his side.
He places one of his hands on her neck, his fingers sinking into her fur. I’ve seen him do it a few times now. When those demons haunting him become too much, he reaches for Shadow as if she was his lifeline. Maybe she is. After all, she’s the one who has been with him through it all, the one who knows him better than anyone.
Chase runs his hand over his jaw before he lets it fall onto the cushion. The small space makes our palms brush against one another, and that current of electricity zaps through my arm. I should pull my hand away, but I don’t; instead, I go one step further and link my pinky finger with his.
Chase’s head snaps in my direction, his narrowed gaze meeting mine.
My body locks under his watchful gaze. I don’t move, don’t breathe, just watch him watch me. For a second, I wonder if I’ve gone too far, if I’ve messed up or broke some invisible line that was drawn. I expect him to brush my hand away, get up, and leave, but he doesn’t.
His finger links with mine, holding tightly.
Releasing the breath that was stuck in my throat, I will my body to relax and shift my gaze back to the sky.
But not Chase.
His gaze stays locked on me.
That’s how we stay for the rest of the night. I’m not sure when I fell asleep, but by the time I woke up, he was gone once again.
“Mom!”
My heart does a little flip inside my chest at the sound of Kyle’s voice. He closes the door to John’s truck and runs toward me, his backpack bouncing on his shoulders with every step he takes.
I open my arms just in time for his body to slam into mine, knocking all the air out of my lungs. But I don’t care. My arms wrap around Kyle, and I hold him tightly to me.
“I missed you.”
His soft words make me squeeze my eyes to hold back my emotions. Kyle’s a very affectionate kid, but he’s growing up, and moments like this are becoming more rare, so I’m planning to embrace every single one of them.
“I missed you, too, buddy.”
The door slams, louder this time, making my eyes snap open just in time to find John glaring at me.
Kyle starts to pull back, so I reluctantly loosen my grip on him and shift my gaze so I can take him in. His hair is mussed, his shirt a bit rumpled, but otherwise he seems good.
